Dennis Basso

New York woke up to a coating of snow this morning, and while most could have done without sludge on their morning commute, Dennis Basso couldn't have been happier. "What better thing to happen to a furrier on the day of his show?" he exclaimed excitedly. "People will be thinking about getting warm!"

In recent seasons, the team has been working to perfect a unique mesh-netting technique. Pelts were backed by a silklike webbing on the aforementioned capelet, and it had an unusual lightness and buoyancy as a result. It's details like these that have won the designer such a loyal fan base. What Upper East Side doyenne wouldn't approve of a pair of raccoon and alligator "pockets" (fur-lined hand warmers attached to the ends of an alligator belt, to be strapped over her favorite top)? If that sounds decadent, it was, but you don't go to Basso for understatement. Even the pants, slim and made from ribbons of cashmere and stingray, were constructed to command a second look. Worn with a sheer black top with epaulets, they were clearly an attempt to woo a younger audience.

Generally, Basso has made progress in crossing the generational—if the not the uptown-downtown—divide. Still, that special spark that in collections past has made his furs feel quite modern was missing. The coats are so gorgeous, though, his core clientele probably won't care.